Invisible surface hinge.



0. KAIZENBERGER.

INVISIBLE suIIEAcE HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, I9I5. I 1,144,207, Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET l.

A TTH/VEYS Oscar Kofzenberger IOM 0. KATZENBERGER.

.INVlSIBLE SURFACE HINGE.

`APmlcAnoN FILED FEB.12.19|5.

1, 144,207. Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- s v I N al Osctcjyr Karzenbergerl @Ff/# W ,4 TOHNEYS OSCAR KATZENBERGER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INVISIBLE SURFACE HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 22, 1915.

Application led February 12, 1915. Serial No. 7,716.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR KATZENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in t-he county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Invisible Surface Hinge, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in spring hinges, and particularly to an invisible surface hinge, and has for an object to provide an improved arrangement which may be readily applied or removed without injury to the door.

Another object in view is to provide an improved hinge which when applied will not be visible 'from either side of the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring hinge with the parts so formed and arranged as to maintain a spring under tension at all times, whereby the door is held positively in a neutral position and resiliently resists movement in either direction. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a door and door frame with an embodiment of the invention shown applied thereto, certain parts being shown in section for better illustrating the Construction and arrangement; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view approximately on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a hinge embodying the invention, the same being taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 1 approximately on line 4 4; Fig. 5 is a detailed transverse section through the hinge shown in Fig. 4, the same being taken on line 5-5; Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the hinge shown in Fig. 4, the same being taken on line 6-6; Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6 except that it is ytaken on line 7 7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a side view of the hinge embodying the invention, the casing being shown in section.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a door frame which may be of any desired kind., and 2 a door of any desired construction. At the upper part of the door 2 is arranged a metallic plate 3 which is embedded in the door, and which is provided with a socket 4 for receiving the stud 5 extending from plate 6 which is embedded inthe upper part of the door frame 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The center of the stud 5 is designed to be in alinement varranged in position as sho-wn in Fig. 1, they cannot be seen from either side oi' the door. As shown in Fig. 3, the hinge is provided with a floor plate 10 which is secured to the ioor by any desired means, as for instance screws, and by what is known as an alining plate 11 which forms no part of the present invention. Arranged on the alining plate 11 is a cup 12 for receiving the balls 13 on which the bearing members or washers 14 rest, said washers acting as a bearing cone l,

for supporting the arm 9, body 8 and parts connected therewith including the door 2. The arm 9 is provided with an enlargement 15 which enlargement may be formed integral with the arm as shown in Fig. 3, or may be made separate and rigidly secured thereto. The enlargement 15 is provided with a threaded aperture for receiving pins 16, whereby the casing 17 is rigidly secured to an enlargement 15, and is moved therewith. In order that the assembler can test the hinge without iirst fastening the casing 17 as by means of the screws or pins 16, extensions 18 are provided which project into notches 19 formed in the arm 9 as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 8. This allows the casing 17 to be applied and removed easily and quickly. As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the enlargement 15 is provided with an upstanding lug 2O provided with a contact face 21 adapted to be engaged by contactface 22 on the lug 28, which last mentioned lug projects from the pintle bearing` member 24. The pintle bearing member 24 is provided with a sleeve 25 surrounded by the end of spring 26, and with one or more apertures in which the end 27 of the spring 26 is tted. A stop 28 formed as a removable pin is provided which limits the rotary movement of the pintle bearing member 24 in one direction, namely, in the direction for unwinding spring 26. A pintle bearing member 24 is provided near the upper end of the casing 17 which is given a continuous tendency to rotate in an opposite direction to the bearing member 24 by spring 26. This rotary movement is limited by the pin 28. It will be observed that the pins 28 and 28 prevent the unwinding of the spring beyond a certain extent whereby the spring is continually maintained under a certain tension. These pins, however, do not stop or prevent in any way the winding of the spring to a greater tension, and the springs are so constructed as to allow almost a complete rotation of one of the pintle bearing members 24 or 24, though ordinarily a quarter or possibly a half revolution is sufficient. When either of the pintle bearing members 2li or 24! is rotated away from its pin or stop, the spring 26 is brought under tension, which tension is of course relieved when these bearing members are allowed to assume their former position.

If the door is opened in one direction the pintle bearing member 24- will bring the spring under tension, while if it is opened in the opposite direction the pintle bearing member 211 will bring the spring under tension. Arranged immediately above the pintle bearing member 24: is a top bearing member 30 provided with a lug 3l adapted to engage the lug 32 as shown in Fig. l when the parts are in their normal or neutral position, and to be moved therefrom when the door 2 is moved in one direction. The upper end of the top bearing member 30 is provided with a flange 33 which overlaps the sleeve 17 and forms substantially a cap structure as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The upper bearing member 30 is rigidly secured to sleeve 17 by any suitable means, as for instance pins or screws 34 so that this bearing member will always turn with the sleeve. It will be noted that a pintle 35 is provided which extends through all ofl the bearing members including the arm 9, as shown in Fig. 3, and that the pins 28 and 28 are rigidly connected with this pintle member. The pintle member 35 is rigidly secured to the alining plate 11 which in turn is rigidly secured by suitable screws or other means to the floor plate 10. Thus it will be seen that the pintle 35 and pins 28 and 28 are the only stationary parts, and that one end of the device will act on the spring for bringing the same under tension when the door is swung in one direction, and the opposite end will act on the spring for bringing the same under tension when the door is swung in the opposite direction.

1t will be noted that the upper end of the spring is fitted into suitable holes or apertures in the bearing member 24; as shown in Fig. t so that when the bearing member is moved the spring in being brought under tension will be wound, and when released will move the door 2 to its closed position by an unwinding action. The tension of the spring is by this means varied according to the power required, and by reason of the use of pins 28 and 28 the door is held in its neutral or normally closed position under the action of spring tension. A It will be noted that the extensions 18 may be tted into the notches 19 during the assembling of the hinge so that the assembler can test the hinge without first fastening the casing 17 by means of the screws or pins 16.

Vhat I claim isl. In a spring hinge of the character described, a stationary pintle, an arm loosely journaled on said pintle, said arm being provided with an annular stop having a proj ection and a pair of grooves, a sleeve mounted on said stop, said sleeve being formed with lugs fitting into said grooves, an an* nular stop arranged adjacent the top of said pintle, said last mentioned stop being formed with a projection, means for securing each of said stops to said sleeve, a spring surrounding said pintle, means connected with the ends of said spring adapted to beengaged by said stops when said arm is turned for bringing the spring under tension, and a pair of pins for preventing movement of said means in one direction.

2. In a spring hinge of the character described, a stationary pintle, an arm loosely journaled on said pintle, said arm being provided with an annular stop having a projection and a pair of grooves, a sleeve mounted on said stop formed with lugs fitting into said grooves, an annular stop arranged adjacent the top of said pintle, said last mentioned stop being formed witha projection, means for securing each of said stops to said sleeve, a pair of bearing members arranged Vadjacent each of said stops, each of said bearing members being 'formed with a projection .adapted to engage the projecting member ofthe stop, the projections on the bearing members being offsuch a length'as to provide a space between the bearing members and the stop, a pin for each of the bearing members rigidly secured to said pintle and adapted to normally be engaged' by the projections on the bearing members, and a spring having the ends connected with said bearing members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR KATZENBERGER.

lVitnesses:

E. W. HENRY, OLGA LUND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

